Reciprocating bed and platen printing machine with web feeding means



United States Patent James A. Alton P. 0. Box 26, Peoria, Illinois 61614 [21 Appl. No. 771,547

[22] Filed Oct. 29, 1968 [4 5] Patented Nov. 17, 1970 [72] inventor [54] RECIPROCATING BED AND PLATEN PRINTING MACHINE WITH WEB FEEDING MEANS 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 101/292 [51] Int. Cl B411 1/08 [50] Field of Search 101/292,

Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Attorney-Burmeister, Palmatier and Hamby ABSTRACT: An electrically powered printing machine for printing price data, for example, on a rolled strip of adjoined stickers or labels by operators, usually store clerks, typically untrained in the operation of machinery and usually lacking in mechanical aptitude. A printing head comprising a plurality of juxtaposed, adjustable printing bands corresponding to successive digits of price data is reciprocated into and out of compressive engagement with a strip of labels supported by a platen and intermittently advanced into and out of printing position in synchronism with printing cycles of the printing head by feeding means and winding means driven in sychronism with the printing head by a common drive powered by an electric motor through a common clutch. Damage to the machine caused by adjustment of the printing bands attempted while the machine is stopped, but with the printing head advanced against the platen, is effectively precluded by integrated clutch and electric motor control means that responds to a simple stopping movement of a single manual control element to condition the common clutch to stop the printing head when it is retracted from the platen to a home position where the printing bands are free to rotate and to effect continued operation of the electric drive motor for a limited time sufficient to electrically power movement of the printing head back to its home position, the electric drive motor being automatically deenergized after driving the printing head back to its home position, all in response to the same stopping movement of the single manual control A simple starting movement of the manual control reenergizes the electric motor and reengages the common clutch to drive the printing head, feeding means and winding means all in synchronism.

minis J04 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 f 3,540,375

Sheet g of2 Patented Nov. 17, 1970 Sheet 2, of2

Inventor James A. Alton. .B ,$mmzbii-fi abmibk&fiamg,

fl 'fiornegs l RECIPROCATING BED AND PLATEN PRINTING MACHINE WITH WEB FEEDING MEANS The present invention relates to electrically powered printing machines for use by merchants to print price data on labels or stickers applied to individual items of merchandise.

In an individual machine, a strip of interconnected labels is fed from a supply roll through a printing station where the strip is supported by a platen and successive labels are printed by a reciprocable printing head comprising a plurality ofjux taposed printing bands corresponding to successive digits of price data and being individually adjustable to change the price data printed. Power driven feeding means and printed label winding means operate in synchronism with the printing head to advance successive labels into the printing station in timed relation to cycling of the printing head and to rewind the strip oflabels printed in the printing station.

Conventional machines of this character are in widespread use by retail merchants. The machines are normally operated by store clerks typically untrained in the operation of machinery and usually lacking in mechanical aptitude.

The decided advantages which such machines afford in the printing of pricing labels are generally diminished by the machines being not infrequently disabled and by repair bills incident to damage of the machines by clerks who have adjusted or attempted to adjust the printing bands to change the price data without observing or following operational procedures that have been essential preliminaries to damagefree changing of the price data by circulation of the printing bands.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved electrically driven price label printing machine of the character recited having a trouble-free mode of operation which serves at once to simplify operation of the machine from the operators'standpoint and to eliminate vulnerability of the machine to damage incident to adjustment of the printing bands to change the price data printed.

Another object is to provide an improved machine as recited having a novel construction and improved mode of operation that assures that platen pressure is released from the printing head each time the machine is stopped, with the consequence that the machine can be adjusted to change the price data at any time the machine is stopped without exposure of the machine to damage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as recited in the preceding objects that is electrically energized and started in operation by a single, simple movement ofa single control and which is stopped with the printing head properly positioned for adjustment of the printing bands and fully deenergized as an incident to a simple, single movement ofa single control.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide an electrically powered price label printing machine as recited in the preceding objects which responds to a single, simple movement of a single control to declutch the printing head, the label feeding means and the printed label winding means from a common drive when the printing head is retracted to a home position where the printing bands are released from platen pressure for adjustment and to effect continued operation of the electric drive motor for the machine for a limited time sufficient to electrically power movement of the printing head back to its home position, the electric drive motor being automatically deenergized after driving the printing head back to its home position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a' side view of an electrically driven printing machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view ofa label feeding, printing and label rewind mechanism housed in the machine;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned fragmentary view taken generally with reference to the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the printing head and platen taken with reference to the line 4-4 in FlG. 3 and showing the printing head'in printing relation with reference to a label supported by the platen;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the printing head retracted to its home position where the printing head is released from platen pressure;

FIG. 6 illustrates schematically and diagrammatically the interrelationship of major mechanical and control components incorporated in the machine; and

HO. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally with reference to line 7-7 in FIG. 1 and illustrating the main drive clutch incorporated in the machine.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the electrically energized price label printing machine 10 forming the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises an electric motor 12, FIGS. 1 and 6, connected through a speed reducing transmission 14 with a clutch 16 that controllably drives a main output shaft 18, FIGS. 2 and 6.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, a strip 20 of interconnected price labels or stickers is threaded through a printing station 22 from a supply roll 24 of unprinted labels supported on the machine to a printed label winding reel 26.

In the printing station 22, the strip 20 of labels is supported by a platen 28 for printing of price data on successive labels by a price data printing head 30 reciprocated toward and away from the label supporting platen 28 between a home position illustrated in FIG. 5 and a label printing position shown in FIG. 4.

With reference to the construction illustrated, reciprocable movement of the printing head 30 toward and away from the platen 28 is guided by a vertically movable slide 32 suitably fixed in supporting relation to the printing head and extending downwardly into coacting relation with suitable guide structure on the machine.

Reciprocation of the printing head is effected by an eccentric drive cam 34, HO. 2, encircled by the lower end of a generally vertical connecting rod 36 interconnected at its upper end with the printing head 30 to alternately lift the printing head to its home position and move the printing head downwardly against the label strip 20 supported by the platen 28 with a force cushioned, as shown in FlG. 3, by a helical spring 38. In the construction shown, the helical spring 38 functions to determine the printing pressure with which the head 30 engages the label strip 20 and is adjusted to vary the force of the applied printing pressure.

As illustrated, the upper end of the flat connecting rod 36 acts on the upper end of the spring 38 to move the upper end of the spring downwardly, the lower end of the spring being supported by a spring seat 40 threaded onto a support screw 42 bearing downwardly on the printing head 30 and being rotatable in this instance by a knob 44 to adjust the residual stress in the spring 38 and hence the force with which the printing head 30 is urged downwardly against the reaction of the label supporting platen 28 when the driving cam 34 on the drive shaft 18 is turned downwardly to carry the printing head 30 into its printing position, FIG. 4, against an individual label 46 supported on the platen 28 and being a part of the label strip 20.

Successive labels 46 in the strip 20 are advanced into the printing station 22 in synchronism with reciprocation of the printing head 30 by a label feeding finger 48 carried by a medially pivoted bell crank 50 carrying a cam follower 52 operated by a shaped cam 54 rotatable with the main drive shaft 18. The rewind reel 26, on which the label strip 20 is wound after printing, is intermittently advanced in synchronism with cycling of the printing head 30 by a ratchet mechanism 56 cycled by a generally translatable link 58 supporting a cam follower 60 also driven by the shaped cam 54 on the main drive shaft 18.

The printing head 30 itself comprises a plurality of individually adjustable printing bands 62 supported in juxtaposition to each other as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 and corresponding to successive digits of price data. All the printing bands 62 extend around a lower support 64 which supports adjacent portions of the several bands in confronting relation to the platen 28 for pressing numerals on the individual hands into printing engagement with a platen supported label 46 during the printing phase ofa printing cycle. 7

From the lower support 64, the several juxtaposed printing bands 62 extend upwardly and around two spaced upper supports 66, 68 equipped with adjusting knobs 70 providing for adjustable circulation of the individual printing bands 62 independently of each other to bring the desired numerical digit on each band into printing position below the lower support 64.

In accordance with established practice in the art, the individual printing bands 62 have an endless flexible construction bearing a succession of protruding digits, the proper digit corresponding to the price data to be printed being brought into printing position underlying the lower band support 64 by controlled circulation of the band by the band adjusting structure provided in the printing head 30 and including the adjusting knobs 70.

The construction of the individual band adjusting structure which circulates the respective bands to bring a sequence of digits corresponding to the price data to be printed to the printing position below the support 64 is well known in the art and need not be described here.

Inking of the printing head in synchronism with the printing operation is effected by an inking pad 72 supported, in this instance for-purposes of illustration, on the label feeding fingers 48 as shown in FIG. 2. lnking of the printing head is accomplished in' a manner well understood in the art.

To energize the machine 10 and to place the machine in operation, the operator is required only to swing a single control lever 74 from an upper stop position, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 6, downwardly to a lower running position, illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 6. Moreover, control structure integrated into the machine responds to subsequent movement of the control lever 74 by the operator from its lower running position back to its upper stop position to mechanically drive the machine to a predetermined home position wherein the machine is stopped with the printing head 30 retracted from the label supporting platen 28 and to effect continued operation of the electric drive motor 12 for a limited time sufficient to electrically power movement of the printing head 30 back to its home position.

The control lever 74 protrudes, as shown, from one side of the housing 76 of the machine 10 and functions when in its lower stop position to condition the clutch 16 to disconnect the main drive shaft 18 when the printing head 30 reaches its home position, illustrated in FIG. 5, in which the printing head 30 is retracted from the platen 28 as mentioned.

Having reference to the construction shown in FIG. 7 for purposes of illustration. the clutch 16 designed to park the printing head 30 in its home position retracted from the platen 28 comprised a disc 75 fixedly secured to the driven shaft I8 and supporting on one side a dog lever 77 swingahly supported on the disc 75 by a medial pivot 79. A spring 81 anchored to the disc 75 operates on the dog lever 77 to urge a projection or pawl 83 on one end of the lever 77 radially inward toward the orbital path of a circumferential series of spaced driving lugs 85 carried by a quill shaft 87 forming the output end of the driving transmission and rotatably journaling the shaft 18 as illustrated.

As shown in FIG. 7 for the purpose of illustration, the control lever 74 is swingably supported on a medial pivot 89. Downward swinging of the forward end of the lever 74 to the lower running position, illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 7, swings the inner end of the lever 74 clear of a stop projection 91 on the end of the lever 77 opposite from the pawl 83 allowing the spring 81 to swing the pawl 83 into engagement with the adjacent one of the driving lugs 85 rotated by the quill shaft 87. In this manner, the lever 77 establishes a driving connection from the transmission 14 to the drive shaft 18.

Upward swinging of the single control lever 74 back to its solid line position illustrated in FIG. 7 returns the inner end of the lever 74 into a position of interference with the stop projeetion 91 on the lever 77 so that continued rotation of the disc 75 brings the stop projection 91 into engagement with the lever 74 which acts on the projection 91 to swing the clutch lever 77 out ofengagement with the driving lugs 85.

With reference to FIG. 7, the disc 75 rotates in a clockwise direction and the clutch lever 77 is swung in a counterclockwise direction to disengage the pawl 83 from a coacting driving lug 85. When disengagement of the clutch lever 77 from the rotary driving shaft 87 is completed in this manner, the end of the clutch lever 77 opposite the pawl 83 swings against a stud 93 carried by the disc 75 with the consequence that the control lever 74 operating through the clutch lever 77 positively terminates rotation of the disc 75 and drive shaft 18 in a predetermined position corresponding to the home position of the printing head 30, as shown in FIG. 5. Thus, the position in which the parking clutch 16 stops the drive shaft 18 is correlated with the eccentric 34 so that stopping of the shaft 18 coincides with parking of the printing head 30 in its home position by the eccentric 34.

As shown in FIG. 1 and illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6, the single control lever 74 actuated by the operator overlies an upwardly biased motor control member 78 in such manner that downward displacement of the control lever 74 to its lower running position causes the upwardly biased control member 78 to close a relay control switch 80, FIG. 6.

The relay control switch 80 completes a circuit from a first power line 82 through a rectifier or diode 84 to a relay coil 86 connected with a second power line 88. The consequent energization of the relay coil 86 closes the motor energizing switch to energize the driving motor 12 for the machine 10. In the particular circuit illustrated in FIG. 6, the power line 82 is connected directly to the motor 12 and the power line 88 is connected through the switch 90 to the motor 12.

In this manner, downward movement of the single control lever 74 energizes the electric drive motor 12 for the machine and releases the clutch 16 to connect the speed reducing transmission 14 driven by the motor 12 to the main drive shaft 18 to place the machine in operation, all in response to simple downward movement of the control lever 74, as previously intimated.

While the machine is operating, the diode 84 functions to charge a capacitor 92 connected in parallel with the relay winding 86, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6.

To discontinue operation of the machine, the operator has only to move the single control lever 74 back to its upper machine stop position. The upwardly biased control member 78 follows the upward movement of the control lever 74 to open the relay control switch 80, but this does not produce an immediate deenergization of the machine driving motor 12. The motor energizing switch 90 is retained in its closed position to continue energization of the driving motor 12 by the relay coil 86 which is then energized for a limited time by a charge stored in the capacitor 92, it being understood that the switch 90 is a relay switch closed by the relay coil 86.

Except on the unusual occasion in which the control lever 74 is moved to the machine stopping position at the instant the printing head 30 is approaching its retracted home position, upward movement of the lever 74 does not result in an immediate stoppage of the machine. The machine continues to operate, energization of the motor I2 being continued as desired and the clutch 16 remaining engaged to mechanically drive the shaft 18. However, the clutch is at this time preconditioned by the lever 74 being in its upper position to mechanically disengage the clutch l6 stopping the shaft 18 and the printing head 30 when the head 30 has been driven onto its retracted home position by power supplied by the driving motor 12.

The energization of the motor 12 is continued through a discharge of current from the capacitor 92 through the motor relay winding 86 for a sufficient period of time to allow the motor to drive the shaft 18 through virtually a complete revolution, if necessary, to move the printing head 30 to its home position.

Thus, the electrical characteristics of the capacitor 92 and the relay winding 86 are related to each other so as to hold the switch 90 closed after the switch 80 is opened for a time of sufficient duration to energize at least one complete revolution of the drive shaft 18. For this reason, a coil 86 of high resistance and a capacitor of substantial capacitance are used, the electrical values of these components being readily computable by those skilled in the art. In the present instance. the solenoid winding 86.has a resistance of 4,000 ohms and capacitor 88 has a capacitance of 200 microfarads.

After the printing head 30 is successfully parked in its retracted home position by disengagement of the clutch 16, the charge on the capacitor 92 is exhausted, allowing the motor relay switch 90 to open to deenergize the motor 12.

The utter simplicity of the operating procedure from the operators standpoint effectively eliminates any opportunity or occasion for the machine being operated improperly. No room for error in starting the machine is allowed by virtue of the fact that the machine is started and placed in operation in response to a single, simple movement of a single control. Similarly, no room for error is allowed in stopping the machine properly, proper stopping of the machine being accomplished in response to a single, simple movement of a single control. Moreover, the machine, when stopped, is always properly conditioned for adjustment of theindividual printing bands 62 to change the price data that will be printed upon restarting the machine.

The printing head 30 is always parked, as described, in its retracted home position with the platen pressure released from the printing bands 62, when the machine is stopped, all in response to a single actuation of the single control 74 with the consequence that the printing bands 62 are free to be moved adjustably without damage. As a consequence, the machine can be successfully operated without damage by even the most careless and inept operators.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not necessarily limited to use .of the particular construction illustrated and described, but includes the use of structural alternatives within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed.

lclaim:

l. Electrically energized price label printing machine comprising, in combination, a label supporting platen, a price printing head confronting said platen and comprising a plurality of juxtaposed printing bands corresponding to successive digits of price data, said head including means for adjustably circulating said bands individually to change price data to be printed, a rotary drive shaft, label feeding means interconnected with said shaft to advance a strip of labels intermittently through a printing station between said platen and said printing head, printing head actuating means operated by said shaft and coacting with said printing head to reciprocate the latter between a home position retracted from said platen and a printing position advanced against said platen to print a label supported thereon, label strip winding means operated by said drive shaft to wind interconnected labels printed in said printing station, an electric drive motor, a parking clutch having a driving member connected with said electric motor and having a driven member connected with said drive shaft, said clutch including a clutch element for releasably clutching together said driving member and said driven member, clutch control means including a control member movable between a running position and a stop position, said clutch control means including means for operating said clutch element to clutch together said driving member and said driven member in response to movement of said control member to said running position thereof, said clutch control means including means conditioned in response to movement of said clutch control member to said stop position thereof to operate said clutch element to declutch said driven member and said drive shaft from said driving member and to stop rotation of said drive shaft inresponse to rotation of said drive shaft to a predetermined parking position in which said drive shaft acts through said printing head actuating means to locate said printing head in its home position retracted from said platen in which home position said printing bands are released from platen pressure and properly positioned for adjustment, motor switch means interconnected with said clutch control member to energize said electric drive motor in response to movement of said clutch control member to said running position thereof, and switch control means for said electric motor interconnected with said clutch control member to be operated by movement of the latter to said stop position thereof to effect deenergization of said electric motor automatically after said drive shaft has been declutched from said motor in said predetermined parking position of the drive shaft.

2. Electrically energized price labelprinting machine comprising, in combination, a label supporting platen, a price printing head confronting said platen and comprising a plurality of juxtaposed printing bands corresponding to successive digits of price data, said head including means for adjustably circulating said bands individually to change price data to be printed, a rotary drive element, label feeding means interconnectedwith said rotary drive element to advance a strip of labels intermittently through a printing station between said platen and said printing head, printing head actuating means operated by said rotary drive element and coacting with said printing head to move the latter cyclically between a home positionretracted from said platen and a printing position advanced against said platen to print a label supported thereon, an electric drive motor, a parking clutch having a driving member connected with said electric motor and having a driven member connected with said rotary drive element, said clutch including means for releasably clutching together said driving member and said driven member, clutch control means including a control member movable between a running position and a stop position, said clutch control means including means for engaging said clutch to connect said motorwith said rotary drive element in response to movement of said control member to said running position thereof, said clutch control means including means coacting with said clutch and conditioned in response to movement of said clutch control member to said stop position thereof to declutch said rotary drive element from said motor in response to movement of said drive element to a predetermined parking position in which said drive element acts through said printing head actuating means to locate said printing head in its home position retracted from said platen in which home position said printing bands are released from platen pressure and properly positioned for adjustment, motor switch means interconnected with said clutch control member to energize said electric drive motor in response to movement of said clutch control member to said running position thereof, and switch control means for said electric motor interconnected with said clutch control member to be operated by movement of the latter to said stop position thereof to effect continued energization of said electric motor for only a limited period of time sufficient to drive said rotary drive element through a single revolution and to automatically deenergize said electric motor after said drive element has been declutched from said motor.

3. An electrically energized price label printing machine comprising, incombination, a label supporting platen, a price printing head confronting said platen and comprising a plurality of printing elements corresponding to successive digits of price data and being movable to change the price data to be printed, means for directing a strip oflabels through a printing station between said platen and said printing head, printing head actuating means coacting with said printing head to move the latter cyclically between a home position retracted from said platen and a printing position advanced against said platen to print a label supported thereon, an electric drive motor, a clutch having a driving member connected with said electric motor and having a driven member connected with said printing head actuating means to drive the latter, clutch control means including a control member movable between a running position and a stop position, said clutch control means including means coacting with said clutch to engage the latter to connect said motor with said printing head actuating means in response to movement of said control member to said running position thereof, said clutch control means including means coacting with said clutch and conditioned in response to movement of said clutch control member to said stop position thereof to disconnect said printing head actuating means from said motor in response to movement of said printing head by said actuating means therefor to its home position retracted from said platen in which home position said printing elements are released from platen pressure and properly positioned for movement to change the price data to be printed, motor switch means interconnected with said clutch control member to energize said electric drive motor in response to movement of said clutch control member to said running position thereof, and switch control means for said electric motor interconnected with said clutch control member to be operated by movement of the latter to said stop position thereof to effect continued energization of said electric motor for only a limited period of time sufficient to drive said printing head through a single complete cycle of movement and to automatically deenergize said electric motor after said printing head actuating means has been disconnected from said motor.

4. An electrically energized price label printing machine comprising, in combination, a label supporting platen, a price printing head confronting said platen and comprising a plurality of juxtaposed printing bands corresponding to successive digits of price data, said head including means for adjustably circulating said bands individually to change the price data to be printed, means for directing a strip of labels through a printing station between said platen and said printing head, printing head actuating means coacting with said printing head to move the latter cyclically between a home position retracted from said platen and a printing position advanced against said platen to print a label supported thereon, an electric drive motor, a clutch having a driving member connected with said electric motor and having a driven member connected with said printing head actuating means to drive the latter, clutch control means including a control member movable between a running position and a stop position, said clutch control means including means coacting with said clutch to engage thelatter to connect said motor with said printing head actuating means in response to movement of said control member to said running position thereof, said clutch control means including means coacting with said clutch and conditioned in response to movement of said clutch control member to said stop position thereof to disconnect said printing head actuating means from said motor in response to movement printing head said head by said actuating means therefor to its home position retracted from said platen in which home position said printing bands are released from platen pressure and properly positioned for adjustment to change the price data to be printed, a relay switch con nected to energize said motor and having a control winding, a relay control switch connected to said control winding to energize the latter to close said relay switch to energize said motor upon closing of the relay control switch, said relay control switch being interconnected with said clutch control member to be opened and closed in response to movement of said clutch control member to said stop position thereof and said running position thereof respectively, a capacitor connected in parallel with said control winding, and rectifier means connected between said relay control switch and said capacitor to charge the latter upon closure of said relay control switch, said capacitor and said control winding having electrical values sufficient to continue energization of said control winding by the charge in said capacitor, after said relay control switch is opened, to hold said relay switch closed for a period of time sufficient to drive said printing head through a single complete cycle of movement after which said relay switch opens automatically to deenergize said motor. 

